Stew Bolno: No Kings Day, Trump, ‘fascism,’ and public protest

On Saturday October 18, in metropolitan areas across the United States, the Leftist Leadership Team has determined that Americans should be re-inconvenienced by a “No Kings Day” sequel. According to USA Today Network on October 1, presented by Yahoo! news, the organizers have designated disruption for “more than 2,110 protest sites across all 50 states.” 

After all, the Democratic political brain-trust is disappointed and disturbed; these are the folks in the room where combative strategies are determined. They prioritized a mission to ensure Trump was rotting away in a cell, that his family’s reputation was tarnished beyond repair, and that they were on the downward path to oblivion. Yet, the President is in the news facilitating peace deals in the mid-East and around the world, his daughter in-law is the hostess of a TV show, while a former daughter in-law is dating Tiger Woods — who seems to enjoy playing golf with “The Donald” and his granddaughter. 

The reality of Trump-47 represents a failure of the “fundamental transformation” cabal. However, a larger problem occurs if they’re unable to maintain the energy of their citizen infantry composed of liberal boomers, recent college graduate “feminists”, and uncertain young men. They’re fearful that without a rallying cry, revolutionary couplets, and a place to show up to unburden themselves personal energy dissipates and high turnout rates for 2026 elections are likely diminished. 

One of their icons Saul Alinsky specified Rule # 6 in Rules for Radicals; “A good tactic is one your people enjoy”. Over the years we’ve come to learn the Democrats are willing to organize a group event for complaining, whenever they have the chance.

I’m a guy who doesn’t believe the First Amendment appears at the top of the list randomly. Therefore, I take the judgement of our Founding Fathers, who itemized prohibiting Congress from designing laws “…abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, and the freedom of assembly…” seriously and to heart. However, that’s not to say I cede the streets, accept the redeployment of police forces, enable personal complaints to inconvenience citizens, nor back the expenditures by mayors/councils to expend limited financial resources for those with an axe to grind.

I get that Democrats are off-kilter about the election of 2024. To them the outcome is disturbing, because they believe Americans across the board are disillusioned and voted against their own interest in re-electing Donald J. Trump. To the self-styled clear-eyed protester, the results of November 5, 2024, are incomprehensible even though Trump significantly increased, broadened, and deepened statistical support within urban, suburban, and rural areas. 

Shockingly, he won the popular vote, exceeded his previous Electoral College tallies, and swept all seven of the purple states. What was thought to be impenetrable blocs of Hispanics, black Americans, and suburban women opted to cast their vote in a rightward direction against a non-white, female, and Vice-Presidential incumbent Democratic candidate. The Republican party earned a majority in the House and the Senate. Thus, Trump Derangement Syndrome deepened and metastasized. 

Below I’ve listed a few reasons why the thinking of the Leftist Leaders, Democratic party protesters, and gathering ingrates is askew and their complaints are incorrect and aren’t reality based: 

1. Most of those marching would be unable to define and specify the elements that determine fascist behavior. Therefore, the protest is energized by ignorance and emotion. Regarding the Hitler canard; as a guy who recently viewed and re-learned about Auschwitz and Birkenau, I’ll take the comparison seriously when Trump favors one ethnic group over others, scapegoats specific citizen groups for extinction, and sends out his lackies to round people up to commit outright genocide by bullets, gassing, or starvation.
2. Tyrants are not known to demand less in public taxes, deregulate governmental control, encourage increased responsibility/accountability from local leaders, and demand zero tolerance for crime committed on law-abiding citizens. 
3. If Trump was, indeed, a king he wouldn’t have appointed judges with a strong streak of constitutional originalism; which attempts to protect citizens from increased government intervention in their lives. 
4. When the elected President protects the majority position on 80/20 political issues, it’s clear the leader is more in tune with the preferences of the public than his opposition. 
5. Historically, liberals have demonstrated long-term historical patience with dictators such as Stalin, Mao, Castro, Ortega, and Maduro. This fact, combined with “patience” with the Soviet Union during the cold war years, illustrates their willingness to accept those who wish to stifle dissent and limit freedom for their citizens. 

The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk combined with the response of his fans, provides like-minded people with an alternative of handling their emotional upsets and intellectual preferences. Those who were stunned by his death and felt a need to assemble opted to rent out or request contribution from arenas and coliseum type structures. 

They assembled and engaged in a group grieving event. Like protesters, they listened to speakers who were aligned with them. Unlike The No-Kings mad-marchers they didn’t close streets, discourage mercantile activities, and force local municipalities to front-load costly resource expenditures. Perhaps it’s time to withdraw patience and consider alternatives to the mass gathering of those who demand a public protest pity party, because they’re unhappy about the voting outcomes determined by American citizens.

Stew Bolno is a chronological peer of Donald Trump. He’s been a student, college professor, and consultant on leadership during his 50-year career. He’s followed politics longer than that time. His recent book is “Leadership Lessons And You: From A to Z – featuring Donald Trump” and he’s written scores of essays about him since he descended the Trump Tower staircase.